Natural Gas Hybrids Get Boost From Collaboration Effort

A triple-team by the American Public Gas Association (APGA), NGVAmerica, and Hybrid Kinetic Motors Corporation (HK Motors) aims to leave no one behind in regards to gas-powered hybrid vehicle mass production and sales.

The primary goals of the collaboration include “encouraging federal and state governments to extend the current range of incentives to encourage consumers, businesses, and governments to choose natural gas hybrid vehicles and the infrastructure necessary to sustain them,” as well as “supporting access to more domestic supplies of natural gas”, working with natural gas companies to make home fueling appliances readily available, and more, all according to a recent press release.

Image via The Car Connection

HK Motors’ interest in this collaboration is practical: in 2013, the manufacturer plans to begin mass producing light-duty natural gas hybrid-electric passenger vehicles at its Alabama-based plant. These and other natural gas hybrids will use similar electric-drive technology comparable to gasoline-powered hybrid vehicles currently available, with the key difference being the use of natural gas as a power source. According to a press release, America’s growing familiarity with hybrid technology, coupled with the abundance of natural gas, should serve to usher natural gas-powered hybrid vehicles in as the next step in the hybrid evolution.